Air-coupling.



H. L. McFAR'LAND.

AIR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. I917.

- L ilc Patagntefi- Man 12, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR FQMm hd ATTOR N EY H. L. McFARLAND.

AIR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 1911.

Patante Mar. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I INVENTOR Homer L.M FQ1 LQMQL v WITNESSES ATTORNEY- the improved coupler HOMER L. MQFABLANID, 0F CONWAY, MISSOURI.

AIR-COUPLING.

Application filed April 2, 1

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER L. MGFAR- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Conway, in the county of Laclede and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air- Gouplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved air pipe coupling and the principal object of the invention is to provide a coupling so constructed that it may be mounted beneath the car and connected with the car body the train pipe for carrying the coupler head and connection with the hose of the air system, being slidably connected with the bracket structure which bracket structure is formed in two sections, one being connected with the car and the second pivotally connected with the first section and rigidly connected with the car coupler.

Another objectof the invention is to provide an air coupling device having an improved type of bracket structure for connection with the body of the car and improved means for slidably mounting the train pipe and coupler head.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of coupler head, the coupler heads of the adjoining car being duplicates and so constructed that they are slidably connected in overlapping relation and provided with air passages terminating at the sides in seats to receive gaskets meeting to form anair-tight closure between the two coupler heads.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this coupling device that when turning a bend in a road, the inner bracket structure may have pivotal movement necessary but at the same time be yieldably held to extend longitudinally of the car thus returning the structure to its normal position and yieldably holding it in this position when the car is moving along an even section of the track.

r This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved train pipecoupling device.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing device connected with adjoining cars under the car couplers thereof.

' Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the improved coupler.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

917. Serial No. 159,268.

Fig. at is a view in end elevation of one of the coupler heads.

Fig. 5 is a sectional line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through a portion of the device.

This coupler is for connecting. the train pipes or air pipes 10 of the adjoining cars 11 which cars are connected by means of the conventional couplers 12 positioned beview taken along the neath the cars and supported by the brackets 13. The couplers are positioned as shown in Fig. 2 and it will thus be seen that when the cars are brought together and the car couplers 12 connected, the couplers for the air pipes will also be automatically connected thus making it unnecessary for train-man to walk between the cars in order to connect the air pipes.

The coupling devices at the ends of the car are duplicate in structure and therefore a description of one will suffice for both. Beneath the end of vided a bracket structure including an outer bracket 14L and an inner bracket 15,the outer bracket extending transversely of the car and connected with the body of the car by means of bolts or other fasteners 16 and the inner bracket extending longitudinally of the car and provided with upstanding end walls having ears 18 extending therefrom to receive fasteners 19 for connecting the end walls with the side strips 17. From an inspection of Fig. 6, it will be seen that the inner bracket 15 is provided with a tapered opening 20 to receive conical lug 21 of plate 1 rotatably mounting the inner bracket thus permitting the necessary pivotal movement of this inner bracket when the car is turning a curve in the track. A pin 22 extends through this bearing lug 21 and carries a spring 23 to engage the lower face of the outer bracket and yieldably hold the inner bracket in tight engagement with. the outer bracket, an abutment washer 2 lbeing mounted upon the upper end of the pin to engage the inner bracket and a securing nut 25 being screwed upon the pin to hold the pin in place. In order to limit the pivotal movement of the inner bracket or carriage as it might be termed, there are provided springs 26 connected with the arms of the outer bracket 24: and with ears or lugs 27 The coupler head is provided with a body 28 having a passage 29 formed therein and the car there will be proterminating in a side opening 30 having an enlarged outer end portion forming a seat 31 for the gasket 32 which gasket provides an air-tight connection between the couplers of the adjoining cars when brought together. A yoke 33 is connected with the body 28 by arms 3 1- and is provided with a cutout 35 in which there is positioned a gear wheel or pinion 36 rotatably mounted by means of a bolt or pin 37. This pinion engages the teeth of the rack 38 of an adjoining coupler and serves as means for assisting movement of the couplers into and out of an operative position. Abutments 39 a provided. to limit the sliding movement of the couplers toward connected position and in order to permit the body of each coupler to easily move into the space between the body and the yoke of the adjoining coupler, the outer end portion of the body has been tapered as shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

This coupler head is mounted upon the pipe 4:0 with which the air-pipe 10 is connected as shownvin Fig. 1, the'pip esbeing slidably mounted in openings formed in the end walls 17 of the inner brackets or carriages 15 and a spring 41 being mounted upon the pipe between the coupler head and the wall'17 to yieldably hold the head ex tended and provide a tight but yielding en.- gagement between the heads of the adjoining couplers when the cars are brought together. Guide rods 42 are slidably carried by the wall 17 of the inner bracket or carriage 15 and are connected with the coupler heads and are provided with heads 13 at their free ends which through engagement with" the inner wall of the bracket will prevent the spring 41 from moving; the coupler head and pipe 40 outwardly beyond a desired amount when the cars are uncoupled. When in use, the pipe coupler will be connected with the car as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and from an inspection of these figures, it will be readily seen that the couplers at the ends of the car will be identical in structure and so mounted that when two cars are brought together, the couplers at the ad-.'

joining ends of the cars may be brought together thus forming a connection between theair pipes of the two cars. From an inspection of Fig. 3 it will be readily seen that when the two couplers are connected, a

' very tight joint will be formed preventing 55.

leakage of air in the air system of the train. At the same time, the necessary-movement is permitted as the train moves over a track,

this being especially necessary when a train is moving over a rather rough road bed or along a track containing curves. When the cars of a train are separated, thepinions 36 will be rotated and the coupler heads will thus more easily be separated. This prevents danger of the couplers becoming stuck and broken when the cars'are b'eing separated.

As previously explained the rods e2 not only serve as means for aiding in guiding the sliding movement of the pipes 40 and cou pler heads but further serve as means for limiting the movement or the pipes and heads in one direction.

Whatis'claimed is 1. A train pipe coupler comprising ad- 'oinin car elements each havin 'a su ort the pipes between the coupler head and the inner bracket to yieldably hold the head and pipe against sliding movement in one direction, and guiding rods slidably carried by the inner bracket and connected with the coupler head and provided with enlarged endportions for engaging the inner bracket to limit the sliding movement of the coupler head and pipe in one direction.

2. In an airpipe coupler, cooperating elements for adjoining car ends each element,

comprising supporting means having a main bracket for connection with'a car, a second bracket constltuting a carriage and provided with an opening, a bearing lug extending from the main bracket into the opening' -to pivotally mount the carriage, a pin extending through the bearing and provided with an abutment for engaging the carriage, resilient means engaging the main bracket and pin to yieldably retain the pin ina set position with the abutment in engagement with the carriage, a pipe connected with the V carriage, a. coupler head connected with the pipe and provided with a passage'communieating with the pipe, andresilient means connected with the carriage and with the main bracket to yieldably hold the carriage in aset position.

train pipe couplerrcompris'ingfcooperating elements for adjoining car ends, each comprising a supporting element including afcarri'age having upstanding arms, a pipe slidably carried bysaid arnis, -acoupler head carried by said pipe and provided with an air passage communicating with the pipe, guide'rods slid'ably carried by the arms of said carriage and connected'v with the coupler head and provided at the'ir'inner ends withabutments 'for limitingthe outward movement of the rods, andresilient means mounted upon the pipe between the coupler heads and carriage, "to normally riage.

4. A coupler comprising elements-for adcluding a carriage, an air pipe craried by tending from the body for communication said carriage, and a coupler head compriswith the air passage thereof and slidably ing a body connected with the outer end carried by the support, guide rods slidably portion of said pipe and provided with a carried by the support and connected by the passage communicating with the pipe,arack coupler head, and resilient means yi ldably formed upon said body, and a yoke extendassisting movement of the coupler head toing "from the body for embracing the body ward the support. of an adjoining coupler when the couplers 6. A. coupler for air pipes comprising couof two cars are connected, and a pinion roplers for adjoining cars each includingasuptatably connected with the yoke for engagport having a main bracket for connection ing the teeth of the rack of the adjoining with the car body and an auxiliary bracket coupler. resting upon the main bracket, the auxiliary 5. A train pipe coupler comprising coubracket being pivotally connected with the pler elements for adjoining car ends, each main bracket, an air pipe movably suphaving supporting means for connection ported by the auxiliary bracket, a coupler with the car, a coupler head having a body head connected with the air pipe, and means provided with an air passage, a yoke extendcarried bythe auxiliary bracket and engaging from the body and provided with a ing the coupler head to guide the sliding pocket, a pinion rotatably mounted in the movement of the coupler head.

pocket, teeth formeu upon the body, the In testimony whereof I affix my signature pinion of one coupler head engaging the in presence of two witnesses.

rack of a cooperating coupler head when HOMER L. McFARLAND. the coupler heads are connected with the Witnesses:

body of one coupler head embraced by the J. L, BROOKS,

yoke of the second coupler head, a pipe eX- R. E. WARREN.

Qopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

